Valve for spray guns



Nov. 11, 1947. J. ALLAN VALVE FOR SPRAY GUNS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 21, 1943 u QM. MW n A .5 m U 1. v WW m n r O U V! b 3 mm mm m .m w w s I Ow Nov. 11, 1947. I J. ALI AN 2,430,697 v VALVE FOR SPRAY GUNS Filed April 21, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4s 4s \FigG. so 29 6| '1: b 47 42 I I I lnvenror; Uohn Allan ATTys.

Nov. 11, 1947. J. ALLAN 2,430,697

VALVE FOR SPRAY GUNS Filed April 21, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheefi 3 Fig.6.

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Uohn Alien Patented Nov. 11, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE FOB; SPRAY QUNS John Allan, Gualala, Calif.

Application April 21, 1943, serial No. 483,850

This invention relates to spray guns and especially to spray guns designed for mixing paint and spraying it on to a surface to be covered.

Most theories regarding colors are based on the proposition that there are three primary pigment colors and that all other colors can be produced by mixing two or more of the primary colors in the proper proportions,

The basis of the so-called Kellogg color theory is that the three primary pigment colors are yellow, turquoise (blue .green) and magenta. By mixing these primary colors in different proportions, a wide variety of pure colors can be produced ranging from yellow to turquoise, from turquoise to magenta, and from magenta to yellow.

Tints of any of these various colors can be obtained by adding white to the color, andshades of any color (that is, a color tending toward black) can be secured by adding the complementary color to the mixture, or a black color which results when all three primary colors are mixed in equal proportions.

It is one of the objects of the present inventio to provide a novel valve for a spray gun which draw its supply from separate containers, one of which contains paint vof one primary color, another of which contains paint of another primary color and another of which contains paint of. the third primary color, which spray gun is so constructed that any desiredmixture of the three primary colors for producing a spray of any desired color may be obtained by the manipulation of a single control element.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a-valve for a spray gun such as above referred to which is equipp d with means for adding a controlled amount of white from a separate container to any color for which the control element has been set thereby to produce a tint of said color.

tion, I have illustrated-in-the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described,

afterwhich the novel-features will be pointed out iinthe appended claims.

.In.the drawings:

3 Claims. (Cl. 277-18) Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a spray gun embodying my invention'taken on the line i Fig.2.

2 s a v ew 01 h? Spray am kin f therightinFig. 1. i

Fi 3 is a section on substantially the line 33 Fig. i is a section on 1 1 line 4 -4 Fi 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line :5 5 Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'v sectional view'showins the spray-controllingvalve;

Fig. 7 is a ewn rtly n' se tion of the contro element Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 8-4! Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional View showin one of the auxiliary valves;

' Figs. 10-14 are fragmentary sectional views showin difie'rent adjiisted positions 'of'the three primary valves'tha't" control the" how of" the primary colors to the ini' ing'cliambr of the spraygun.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary view illustrating the relation between the'i'nlet ports and the valve port My improved spray gun comprises a body member I which is herein shown ,a's'cylindrical in shape and which is mounted mend carried by" a" suitable handle eIement'ZI This bodyellement is pr c .vided with a mines hamberfs'arjid with nti. rality of radially arranged ports leading into said mixing chamber. Three of these ports may be considered as primarypdrtsin that their'iunction is to supply to the mixing chamber the'three primary colors. These three primary ports are "indicated 'at 4a, .iib fandflflc respectively.' 'The primary port 4a has a delivery pipe 5a connected thereto which leads to'a container containing the primary 'fcolorlyellowi The primary'port 41) connects with a pipe. 5bwhich leads to a container containing the prim ry cfolor' magenta, and '.,the primary port 40 connects at its outer end ,with a a supply pipe I leading .to a .container containing turquoise color.

For convenience in handlingthe spray gun, the handle element 2 is provided with a centralopening 6 through which the supply pipes 511,51); and 50 extend, said handle having the'sid outlets or openings 1 through whichthejsupply pipes pass on their way to'the primary ports. Thebody I ispi'ovid'ed at itjs end adjacent the mixing'chamber 3 with aspray nozzle 8 through which the paint mixture in the mixing chamber is delivered as aspriay. This spray nozzle comprisesa bushing member having a tapered throat 9 which communicates with the mixing chamber 3.

The delivery of the spray from the nozzle 8 is controlled by a spray-controlling valve member H! which is formed with a, tapered nose II that fits the tapered throat 9. This valve member ID is provided with an axial air delivery passage I2 which communicates with an air supply pipe I3 leading to a source of compressed air supply.

The valve member Illoperates in an axial bore It with which the body member is provided, the outer end of the bore constituting the mixing chamber 3. The body of the valve member fills and has a sliding fit in the bore and is provided with a tubular stem portion Hi; the outer end of which carries a head It provided with a nipple l! to which the endof the air supply pipe |3 is attached. This head |6, which is in the form of a disk, operates in a sleeve member I8 which is secured to the right-hand end of the body member I (see Fig. 1). The inner end of the sleeve member has the inwardly directed annular flange l9 through which the valve stem l extends. A spring 20 which encircles the stem l5 and is confined between the flange IQ of the sleeve l8 and the shoulder 2| on the valve member serves to yieldingly hold the valve in its closed position shown in Fig. 1. When the valve is moved toward the right in Fig. 1 so as to partially open the throat 9 of the nozzle member as shown in Fig. 6, then the force of the stream of compressed air issuing from the passage [2 will draw paint from the mixing chamber 3, and this paint will be delivered from the nozzle 8 as a spray,

The valve |fl is manually controlled, and for this purpose, I have provided a two-armed lever 22 pivoted to the handle at 23, the two arms of which extend through slots 24, with which the handle is provided, into position to engage the head I6 on either side of the valve stem I5. The lower end of this two-armed lever is connected by a link 25 to the upper end of a lever 26 that is pivoted to the handle at 21. The lower end 28 of this lever is in a position to be engaged by the fingers of the operator while he is grasping the handle 2, and by applying pressure to the lower end 28 of the lever 26 thereby to swing it from the full line position Fig. 1 toward the dotted line position, the two-armed lever 22 will beactuated to move the valve In backwardly against the action of the spring 20. The extent to which the valve is opened is determined by the amount of movement which the operator gives to the valve actuating lever 26.

Each of the primary ports 4a, 4b, and 4c is controlled by a primary valve, and all of the valves are in turn controlled by a single control member so that by manipulating this single control member, the primary valves may be opened and closed in a regular sequence.

' Associated with the control member is an index disk graduated in terms of the difierent colors ranging from yellow to magenta, from magenta to turquoise, and from turquoise to yellow, so that by setting the control member in accordance with any particular marking in this graduation, the valves will be set to produce a color corresponding to such graduation marking.

It is expected that a chart showing the range of colors will be furnished with the spray gun, and this chart will indicate the setting of the control member necessary to produce any of the specified colors on the chart.

The primary valves controlling the primary 4 ports 4a, 4b, and 4c are indicated at 29a, 29b, and 29c. Each valve is in the form of a rod or piston extending parallel to the axis of the body member and operating in a cylindrical bore 30 formed therein. The body of each valve member fills the bore, but each valve member is provided with a portion of reduced diameter constituting a, port 3| which can be brought into and out of register with the corresponding primary port. The inlet ports are preferably made square in cross section as indicated in Fig. 15. The advantage of this is that the co-operation of the square inlet port with the port 3| of the valve provides for uniform increase in the quantity of paint delivered when the valve is opened at a uniform rate, and also a uniform decrease in the quantity of paint delivered as the valve is closed at a uniform rate.

Each valve member extends through the body and projects beyond the right-hand end thereof as shown at 32.

The control member by which these primary valves 29a, 29b, and 290 are operated is indicated at 33, and it is shown in the form of a knob which is rotatively mounted on the sleeve member I8. The hub 34 of this knob is provided with a spiral rib 35 which makes at least two turns about the hub, and the projecting ends 32 of the valve members are formed with notches 36 in which the peripheral portion of the spiral rib 35 is received.

The knob 33 is held from movement in an axial direction by means of the flange 31 with which the sleeve I8 is provided, and the turning movement of the knob, therefore, will serve to give the various primary valves a movement in the direction of their axes, thereby to open and close the various primary ports.

The primary valve 29a which controls the port to through which the yellow paint is delivered is provided with two ports 3| and 3 la, as shown in Fig. 8, the reason for which will presently appear.

The knob 33 is provided with an index projection 38 which co-operates with graduation marks 39 formed on an indication disk 40 which is secured to the right-hand end of the body I; These graduation marks 39 start at the point 39a and terminate at the point 3% (see Fig. 2). The arrangement of the cam or spiral rib 35 and its connection with the primary valves are such that when the index pointer 38 is at the end 39a of the graduation mark, the three primary valves will be in the position shown in Fig. 10 in which the primary valve 29a controlling the supply of the yellow color to the mixing chamber is situated with its port 3| registering with the inlet port 411, while the other two primary valves 2% and 29c, which control the supply of the magneta and turquoise colors to the mixing chamber, are in positions to close the primary inlet ports 4b and 40. As the control knob is turned clockwise in Fig. 2, the valves will all be advanced toward the right, and such advancing movement will gradually close the port 4a and will gradually open the port 4?) as shown in Fig. 11.

When these two ports 4a and 4b are partially opened, then both the yellow color and the magenta color will be delivered to the mixing chamber, and the paint which is sprayed from the nozzle will be a mixture of these two primary colors.

If the port 4b i only slightly opened and the port 4a correspondingly closed, then the color delivered from the spray gun will be'one in which yellow is predominating over the magenta. When the valves are in the relative position shown in Fig. 11 in which each port is half open, then the two colors yellow and magenta will be delivered in equal quantities to the mixing chamber, and the resulting mixture will be an orange color.

When the control member has been moved to bring the index projection 38 opposite the graduation 390, then the port 4a will have been fully closed, and the port 412 will be fully open, the port 40 also being closed as shown in Fig. 12. In this position, the pure magenta color will be delivered from the spray gun. When the control member is moved further in a clockwise direction to bring the index projection 38 opposite the graduation 3901, then the valves will have been advanced into the position shown in Fig. 13 in which the ports 4a and 4b are closed and the port 40 is fully opened. This will result in delivery of the turquoise color from the spray gun. When the control knob'3'3 has been turned 'still further in a clockwise direction Fig. 2 to bring the index projection 38 opposite the last graduation 3%, then the valves will have been moved into the position shown in Fig. 14 in which the inlet ports 4b and 4c are closed, and the inlet port 4a is open by reason of the fact that the port 3|a of the valve 29a is in a position to register with the inlet port 4a. This will result in the delivery of the yellow paint from the spray gun.

It will be understood, of course, that when the control member 33 is adjusted so as to bring the index projection 38 into any position between the graduation marks 39a and 390, the two inlet ports 4a and 4b will each be partially open so that a mixture of the yellow and magenta colors will be delivered to the mixing chamber, the proportion of the mixture depending upon the position of the control member.

Similarly, when the control member is ad- 'justed so as to bring the projection 38 into any position between the graduation marks 39c and 39d, then both the inlet ports 41; and 40 will be open and a mixture of magenta and turquoise will be delivered to the mixing chamber. The relative amounts of these two colors which are thus delivered depends upon the position into which the knob is adjusted with the index finger in the zone between the graduation marks 39c and 39d.

When the control member is adjusted into a position in which the index projection 38 is located between the graduation marks 39d and 3%, then the inlet ports 40 and 4a will both be partially opened, and turquoise and yellow paint will be delivered to the mixing chamber, the proportionate amounts of each color which is thus delivered depending upon the position of the index finger between said graduation marks 39d and 391).

If a chart is provided showing the whole range of colors from yellow to magenta, from magenta to turquoise, and from turquoise back to yellow again and this chart is provided with notations corresponding to the notations which the graduation marks 39 may bear, then any particular color on the chart can be delivered from the spray gun by simply adjusting the knob 33 so as to bring the indication point 38 into register with the corresponding graduation mark 39.

I have referred above to a provision for producing tints and shades of any desired color, a tint of any color being produced by mixing white 6 with said color and a shade of any color being produced by mixing a small quantity of black with said color.

For the purpose of producing such tints and shades, the body I of the spray gun is provided with a plurality of auxiliary ports leading into the mixing chamber 3, three such ports being indicated at 4!, 42, and 43. The port 4| has communication with a supply pipe 44 which extends through the handle 2 and leads to a container containing white paint.

The auxiliary port 42 communicates with three branch pipes 45, 46, and 41 that connect with'th'e supply pipes 5a, 5b, and 50 respectively so that the port 42 may receive equal quantities of the three primary colors, yellow, turquoise, and magenta. The auxiliary port 43 is shown as communicating with a supply pipe 48 which leads through the handle 2 and extends to a container containing some nonpigment color or paint, such as aluminum paint or gold paint, or paint thinner which can be introduced to clean the gun.

Each of the auxiliary ports 4|, 42, and 4,3 is .controlled by an auxiliary valve, these valves being indicated at 43, 50, and 5| respectively. These three auxiliary valves are alike in their construction, and each is capable of independent manual manipulation.

Each auxiliary valve is in the nature of a .cylindrical rod operating in a bore 52 with which the body member I is provided, and each valve is capable of moving in the direction of its length and is formed with a port 53 which may be brought into and out of register with the corresponding auxiliary port. For giving each auxiliary valve its lengthwise movement, it is provided with a screw threaded portion 54 which engages interior screw threads with which the bore 52 is provided, and the end of the rod .is formed with an arm 55 by which the valve can .be turned. Turning movement of the valve will operate through the screw threads to give the valve a longitudinal movement.

The screw threads 54 on the Valve and the complementary threads in the bore have such a pitch that a partial turning movement of each valve will be sufiicient to open and close it.

Each valve actuating arm 55 is provided at its outer end with a hand piece 56 by which it may be operated, and it is also provided with an index pointer 51 which cooperates with graduation marks 58 formed on the disk member 40 for'the purpose of indicating the degree to which the valve is opened by any swinging movement of its handle 55.

If after setting the control knob 33 to produce any desired color, it is desired to produce a tint of said color, then the auxiliary valve 49 will be opened more or less so as to admit to the mixing chamber the necessary amount of white color to produce the tint desired. When the control member and the auxiliary valve have been thus properly set, the color that is delivered from the spray gun when the actuating lever 26 is operated will be a tint of the color determined by the setting of the primary valves, the depth or strength of the tine being determined by the setting of the auxiliary valve 49.

If on the other hand, it is desired to produce a shade of any color, then the control knob 33 will be set to produce the desired color and the auxiliary valve 50 will then be open more or less so as to deliver into the mixing chamber through the auxiliary port 42 a black color obtained by 7 the equal mixture of the three primary colors. The 'depth of the shade produced will, of course, depend upon the degree of opening of the auxiliary valve 50.

The auxiliary valve will be used if it is desired to change the character of the paint by introducing into the mixing chamber some nonpigment paint, or this auxiliary valve may be employed for admitting a cleansing fluid to the mixing chamber if it is desired to clean the gun.

I claim:

1. A paint mixing device for a spray gun comprising a body member having three primary color inlets for supplying paint to a mixing chamber, a separate piston valve for each primary color inlet, a rotary control knob common to all of said valves, a connection between said knob and each of the separate valves whereby each valve can be opened or closed by rotation of the knob,

said body having an additional inlet for supplying paint to the mixing chamber, a valve controlling said additional inlet, and means separate from the knob to operate said valve. a

i 2. A paint mixing device comprising a body member having three primary color inlets through which paint may be delivered to a mixing chamber, means for supplying each primary color inlet with paint of the corresponding primary color, a separate piston valve controlling each primary color inlet, a rotary contro l knob common to all of --said valves, connections between said knob and each valve whereby rotation of the knob gives the valves a sliding movement to open and close the valves, said body having an additional inlet for supplying paint to the mixing chamber, means for supplying said additional inlet with paint of the three primary colors in equal proportions, a valve controlling said additional inlet, and means separate from the knob to operate said valve.

3. A paint mixing device for a spray gun comprising a body member having three primary color inlets through which paint may be delivered to a mixing chamber, means for supplying each primary color inlet with paint of the corresponding primary color, a separate piston valve controlling each primary color inlet, a rotary control knob common to all of said valves, connections between said knob and each valve whereby rotation of the knob gives the valves a sliding movement to open and close the inlet ports, said body having a plurality of additional inlet ports for supplying paint to the mixing chamber, means for supplying one of said additional inlet ports with paint of the three primary colors in equal quantities, an auxiliary valve controlling each said additional inlet port and means separate from the knob to operate said auxiliary valves independently.

JOHN ALLAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Number Name 248,970 Whittaker Nov. 1, 1881 1,185,344 Philibert May 30, 1916 1,197,721 'Drago Sept. 12, 1916 1,331,371 Plummer Feb. 17, 1920 1,332,544 Davis Mar. 2, 1920 1,530,858 Shaw Mar. 24, 1925 1,565,404 Abbott Dec. 15, 1925 1,774,694 Bateman Sept. 2, 1930 1,863,782 Young June 21, 1932 1,948,401 Smith et a1 Feb. 20, 1934 2,054,136 Pfafi et al Sept, 15, 1936 2,177,349 Corbin Oct. 24, 1939 2,219,982 Downey Oct. 29, 1940 2,334,990 Brown Nov. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 770,336 France Sept. 12,1934 

